Tsunoda already learned a lot from De Vries: 'Back then I was quite impressed'

With Nyck de Vries, Yuki Tsunoda has a new teammate alongside him at AlphaTauri in 2023. The Japanese driver already praised the Dutchman and his feedback. In an exclusive interview with GPblog, the AlphaTauri driver elaborates on this.

The winter tests are over, so the Formula 1 paddock is preparing for the first Grand Prix of the season in Bahrain. In the shadow of the AlphaTauri hospitality, Tsunoda arrived for the interview. The 22-year-old driver is clear about his goals in F1. He wants it to be more consistent. In addition, he is learning a lot from his new teammate.

De Vries as a teammate

At 28 years old, De Vries is not an inexperienced rookie. The Dutchman has already completed one race in F1 and was already very competitive in several other classes. He will take that experience with him to AlphaTauri and that impresses Tsunoda.

"He is more detailed about technical things. I heard him for the first time in Abu Dhabi and I was quite impressed. I have already learnt a lot from him in that area, especially regarding feedback. He has more experience from other teams and other categories," Tsunoda said in a conversation with GPblog.

Third year in F1

As Tsunoda enters his third year with the team, he will also be expected to push the team forward more. "I don't think it's not my car or Nyck's car. We just stay focused to gain as much as possible. Last year, I raised the limitations with Pierre which was more to do with high speed. It's gained a lot. The characteristics of the car are quite similar to last year. The car suits me I think, but only drove a couple of days."

GPblog spoke at length with Tsunoda in Bahrain. This included the Japanese driver talking about his winter break, Honda's return to Formula 1 and his goals for the coming seasons. The full interview with Tsunoda can be read on the website after this weekend.